Kaulajnananirnaya Tantra

Kaulajnananirnaya Tantra

From: http://www.hubcom.com/tantric/kaula3.htm

As soon as one has seen a jar with intoxicating liquor, women with
a red colour, a lion, a corpse, a red lotus, a fight between a tiger
and an elephant, one's guru or the king, one should bow to Mahamaya
- Kalika Purana, van Kooij translation.

This chapter of an ancient text attributed to Siddha Matsyendranath,
said to be the founder of the Natha lineage, deals with the characteristics
of the linga and discusses the flowers, centres or chakras within
the body in the light of the Yogini Kaula tradition.

A translation of the entire text is in print. It is an important
text because it seems to unite the earlier Siddha tradition with
the Natha tradition, and Matsyendranath expounds the Yogini Kaula
line.

The topic deals with, amongst many other familiar Kaula topics,
the 64 yoginis and the different sacred sites (pitha) held important
in both this and later tantras.

Chapter Three

Devi said - Great Lord, I have questions concerning the characteristics
of Kula, the Self, and consciousness chiefly. Be gracious, O Shankara
Nath ! (1 )

Bhairava said - Listen with concentrated mind to the characteristics
of Kula. Where there is mind, there too are the senses, the sense
objects and the body - these are permeated by one's own Shakti,
one's embodied being, and the (five) elements. (2-3)

It is said that the place and inner part of meditation is a clear
understanding of puja. All proceeds from the letters (of the alphabet),
and in this is voidness. (4)

Dearest, (in the pinda exist) the (cakras) of five lines, 16 lines,
sixty four petals, the truly beautiful 100 petal (lotus) and the
beautiful thousand petal lotus and above this is a very brilliant
10,000,000 petal lotus. Above the 10,000,000 petal lotus is a 30,000,000
petal lotus, each pericarp of which is similar to a flame. Above
this is the all encompassing, eternal, undivided, independent, steady
lotus- pervading all, stainless. By its will (sveccha) it causes
creation and dissolution. Both the animate and inanimate are dissolved
in this linga. (5-10)

It is the all-pervading sphere, still, without Kalas. It should
be understood that being lettered (implies) ignorance of this, whilst
one who has come to know this is liberated from the fetters. It
is destitute of both mind and non-mind, free of meditation and dharana.
Clearly it bestows all, is eternal, like an atasi flower, the divine
essence having both colour and colourless, attained only by knowledge,
through being in the line of succession (parampara). (11-13)

Devi, the characteristics of the Kula Laksha have been declared
- that linga which is not made of wood, stone, clay, jewel, brass,
gold, iron, copper, crystal, clay, tin, lead or copper - which gives
rise to the various blossomings of the red flowers, worshipped by
all the worlds. (14-15)

Devi, one should not concern oneself with the eighteen lokasastras
such as adhyatmika and so forth. Mahdevi, this (sort of preoccupation)
is the cause of a person being a pashu, devoid of knowledge. All
people on the path of spiritual knowledge (divyas) should not associate
with the ignorant, those on useless paths, devoid of Kula knowledge.
(15-18)

Brahma and so forth, all the gods and asuras, the saintly, yakshas,
gandharvas, siddhas, plants, trees, insects, planets, sidereal constellations,
stars and all the rest, all which is in the cosmos - either moving
or fixed, elements and so forth, all manifest from the centre of
the bindu. (19-20)

This linga, the cause of both creation and dissolution, worshipped
by siddhas, shining by its own light, pure, eternal, completely
immeasurable, is like the flame which is the fire (at the end of
time), like lightning in the sky. One becomes liberated after knowing
and perceiving this boon giving linga. (21-22)

This linga is eternally erect, a vajra linga, and my not be destroyed
by raging fire, landslide, or torrent. ( 23)

Devi, a Kaulika should worship this to achieve the wished for siddhi,
employing mental flowers, sweetly scented incense and so forth.
(24)

The first flower is non-harmfulness, the second sense restraint,
the third generosity, the fourth right disposition, the fifth compassion,
and the sixth freedom from cruelty. The seventh flower is meditation,
and the eighth flower is knowledge. Knowing these rules relating
to flowers, one should worship this mental linga. (25-26)

Worshipping this body linga, one may obtain both liberation and
enjoyment. Devi, it is the linga giving siddhi, stationed in the
body, steady and strong. Whosoever should always meditate on this
mental linga, for such a one is achieved the pre-eminent and highest
self knowledge. (26-28)

Thus, O Devi, have been declared the characteristics of the Kaulika
body lingam. Any other (external linga) one should abandon, such
as those made of stone, wood or clay. The ordinary path is devoid
of success and liberation. (28-30)

The inner meaning of this, placed in the body, belongs to the Kula
Agama. Whosoever takes the meaning as placing (a linga) outside
himself enters the arena of pashus. (31)

Devi, the inner meaning of this knowledge has been declared to
you. One should never give it to the undevoted, but only to devoted
persons. (32)